By Heather Mustain
Around here, today is Promotion Sunday. For preschoolers, children and youth moving into new Sunday School classes, that means something very specific. For the rest of us, it may not affect us directly. But it is a useful marker: Summer is winding down, fall is beginning (in programming if not temperature), and we’re finding our way back into the rhythms and places that make up our community.
And as we find our way back, it’s worth remembering what makes this community special: the way we welcome one another and make room for one another.
You are welcome here — not just as someone sitting in a pew, but as someone whose presence matters. One of the best ways to experience that today is to join us for our tailgate luncheon following worship in Community Hall. There will be good food and good conversation.
But I also hope you’ll take a few minutes to look around. Maybe you’ll reconnect with someone you’ve known for years, introduce yourself to someone whose name you’ve never learned or make a new friend. There is always more community here than we realize until we take the time to notice it.
And welcome means everyone — including our youngest worshipers. At Wilshire, we cherish being an intergenerational community. That means worship sometimes comes with a little movement, a few giggles, a snack wrapper or the occasional emergency trip to the bathroom. And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
So when you hear whispers or see a child squirming in the pew, remember that this is what a living community sounds like. A smile, a little encouragement or a simple “You’re doing great” to a parent can be a profound gift. We make room for one another here.
Because we don’t just want you to be welcome at Wilshire. We want you to know that you belong.
Belonging happens when we share our lives with one another — sometimes by receiving, sometimes by giving and often by doing both.
This Wednesday, we begin another season of family dinners and spiritual formation opportunities for children, students and adults. Wilshire has musical ensembles, Mahjong and book groups, service opportunities, hospitality teams and countless other ways to connect. You don’t have to do everything or have it all figured out. There is a place for you exactly as you are.
So whether you’re moving into a new class, returning after a summer away or simply finding your way through another season of life, we’re glad you’re here.
We always are.